Possessed
by Cmdr's Monkey
Summary: An ambitious Goa'uld underlord has discovered a galaxy ripe with hok'taur and intends to claim the leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems as his new host, for only the most powerful is fitting for a god after all. (Update 11/5: New One-Shot added)
1. Possessed

**Possessed**

_The Separatists had discovered the remnants of an ancient gate network that connected them to another galaxy far from their own and found that said galaxy was rich with resources and human conscripts. Intrigued by the potential within the new galaxy, Darth Sidious approves of Tyranus' idea to explore it for future use of the Sith Empire, but when they send a scout team to gather knowledge of the galaxy's denizens, only the team leader returns alive and tells a tale of gods and warriors in control of a good portion of the galaxy._

_Unknown to Tyranus and the Separatists, is the very nature of the Goa'uld and their Jaffa warriors until the one who possessed the surviving scout attempts to take control of the Separatist leader in the hopes of gaining the powers of a Hok'taur and a foothold in a new territory..._

The being that appeared as Commander Than Linnis walked the dim corridors of the Separatist dreadnaught, _Invisible Hand_, his pace was sure and swift but not hasty. He was mostly alone in the corridor but there were a few B-1 battledroids guarding the ship at intervals and once he passed a squad of the abominations as they marched through a four section and turned down an adjacent corridor. He paid no heed to the machines or anyone else he passed in the passages as he headed for the tower of the ship and quarters that the living crew, what little of them there were, called the Wizard's Tower.

Ever since the human had been captured with his machine soldiers, Marutuk had learned a great deal about the being's origins and who and what he served. The human had been easy to break with a few carefully applied touches of a pain stick and thus the Goa'uld commander had been rewarded with a fount of information that could gain him tremendous power amongst the system lords. Possibly, even, take over the entire Empire and rid themselves of the ever annoying tau'ri! Of course, his lord, Anu, would not have allowed _him_ to go back and claim the host body of a hok'taur if he had known about it and the main reason why he had not mentioned it when he gave his report on the interrogation.

For all Anu knew, Marutuk was posing as a spy with the intent of taking control of one of the human's leaders for Anu. Nothing more. He was a loyal servant of his lord, after all.

But he wasn't and he soon would be the _god_ instead.

_He_ would be the one to claim the new host and _he_ would return to his galaxy and slay Anu with his new found powers and army and force the other system lords into submission. But first he had to claim the hok'taur as his new host and from what he had learned from the human's memories, this being was _powerful_. This Count Dooku was suppose to be considered one of the most powerful of his kind for his generation and although, Marutuk could claim one of the other hok'taurs as a host, he had chosen, and _preferred_, to have the best of this being's species.

Only the best for a god.

Marutuk came to a halt at the end of the corridor and glanced down an adjacent hall that would lead him to the Wizard's Tower. He knew the hok'taur was presently residing inside his private quarters and hopefully meditating or resting at this hour like he had observed for the past six months whenever the hok'taur had stayed aboard the _Invisible Hand_. He needed the element of surprise in order to overpower the being. If the hok'taur so much as got one sense of danger, Marutuk's dreams of becoming a system lord and ruler of the Empire would end before they could begin.

Quietly the Goa'uld infested host turned down the corridor and paused again when he spotted two B-2 battledroids guarding the entrance to the Wizard's Tower. Normally having these guards here would have been a problem for him had he tried to take the hok'taur shortly after he had arrived in this galaxy, but after spending six months observing and probing the memories of his current host, he had learned a means to deal with the machines swiftly and quietly.

Before the battledroids could react or figure out what had happened to them, Marutuk approached and slapped two restraining bolts onto their chest plates. The devices adhered and activated too swiftly for the machines and with a simple click of a remote, the Goa'uld watched as the battledroids powered down. _Too easy_, he mused with an arrogant grin and reached out for the control panel.

With a hiss of hydraulics, the door slid upward to reveal a large suite tastefully furnished with décor and furnishings his host would have recognized as antiques but Marutuk did not. Though he did have to admit that the hok'taur had good tastes and something he probably would happily adopt for himself. He did enjoy some of the uniqueness of the various cultures his people had assimilated into the Goa'uld Empire over the millenia.

He took a quiet breath and shook himself of thoughts of what he would do after he had taken the hok'taur and returned his focus to the matter of actually taking the being. None of it would matter if he couldn't overpower the hok'taur. Marutuk opened his eyes and glanced around the suite, noting that it had one room off to the side that was presently closed. He did not see the hok'taur in the main part of the suite nor meditating in front of the great window and assumed that he was in the other room resting.

With the hok'taur asleep, it would make it all the more easy.

Quietly he slipped a kara kesh onto his right hand before making his way over to the side room. Flexing the fingers encased in the hand device in anticipation, he reached out with his other hand and opened the door. It slid upward with an audible hiss that made Marutuk wince at the loudness and hold his breath to painfully listen for any movement or sign of the hok'taur being alerted. But there was no sound nor movement from within the darkened chamber and so the Goa'uld stepped inside.

He cast his eyes about the room in search of his future host and frowned deeply and in confusion at the emptiness of the chamber. The only things inside were simply what one would expect in a sleeping chamber. There was no hok'taur! _Where is he?_ Had he miscalculated when the man would be in here resting or meditating? Marutuk stepped further in and narrowed his eyes. He knew he had not erred. He had watched for six months and knew of the hok'taur's habits. So why wasn't he here?

The snap-hiss of the hok'taur's weapon from behind gave him the answer he had been searching for. Somehow he had been alerted to his presence and apparently had been laying in wait to ambush Marutuk.

"I do not know who you are or why you have foolishly chosen to breach my chambers," started the familiar baritone voice of the hok'taur as the Goa'uld slowly turned to face him. "But I assure you it will be the last thing you will ever do, my friend."

"No," Marutuk returned in a deepened voice, his eyes flashing brightly with an unnatural white glow in the crimson stained darkness. "Threatening your _god_ will be for you, hok'taur."

There was a flicker of confusion on the hok'taur's face before his dark eyes narrowed dangerously. "I sense two beings within you...," he breathed and gave a disgusted look at Marutuk as understanding flashed briefly in his gaze. "A parasite, is all that you are."

"And a host is all you will ever be." Marutuk raised his armed hand just as the hok'taur struck with the crimson energy blade. Before the weapon could make contact, and Marutuk was amazed at how fast Dooku could strike, a blast of kinetic energy sent the new host sprawling into the main suite. The hok'taur seemed to absorb the impact against the sofa to roll over the back and onto his feet again.

"Impressive," the hok'taur complimented. "But not impressive enough."

Marutuk held the ribbon device at chest level and pressed a control on the back of his hand just as the hok'taur crossed the distance between them with an enhanced leap, his crimson energy blade coming down with deadly intent. The Goa'uld smiled sinisterly as shock crossed the hok'taur's face the moment his weapon impacted against a golden energy shield that surrounded him.

"Most impressive." Dooku praised as he stepped back to assess the Goa'uld. "A personal shield, but it won't protect you from the Force!" To prove his point, he raised his left hand and blue forks of energy leapt from his fingertips to engulf Marutuk or at least the power tried to. The hok'taur stopped when he realized that the shield was protecting the parasite even against his powers. "Impossible!"

"Now I have to say that was a very impressive display of power," Marutuk taunted and moved from his place by the sleeping chamber's door. He circled the hok'taur as the being turned to keep him in his sight. "My turn?" He raised the kara kesh and smirked as Dooku braced himself for another kinetic blast. But it did not come. Instead the red gem at the center of his palm glowed before erupting forth as a ribbon of energy, connecting with the hok'taur.

The Goa'uld watched as Dooku gasped and stumbled for balance, his weapon dropping to his side while with his other hand he gripped the side of his head. Marutuk advanced on the host, increasing the intensity of his assault with the hopes of driving the hok'taur into unconsciousness or temporary paralysis, long enough for him to leave his current host and take over the hok'taur. He had to give the being credit, though. Dooku was proving to be resilient in his attempt to resist the kara kesh's power. All it did was reinforce Marutuk's decision to take this hok'taur as his host rather than any of the others.

Certainly he would have preferred a younger host but once he overthrew Anu, he could simply use the sarcophagus to rejuvenate the host's body and extend the lifespan for thousands of years. Besides the age would give him the added bonus of being underestimated.

"Stop..." the hok'taur forced through gritted teeth. He was on a single knee, his weapon deactivated at his feet and his face contorted in agonizing pain. But Marutuk was not going to stop. He was a god, would truly become a god, and he obeyed no one, not even this old man.

"The pain will cease as soon as you surrender to your god," Marutuk demanded but did not expect the being to comply. He was not disappointed and taken by surprise by his response.

"I... have no god!" Dooku snarled and with a great effort, forced himself up into a lunge at the Goa'uld, his hand wrapping around the kara kesh and squeezing. Marutuk grimaced in pain as the device deactivated from being crushed along with his hand. He grabbed the hok'taur with his free hand and using his foot, hooked it around the hok'taur's ankle. The two men grappled as they both went down, Dooku still dazed and unable to focus on calling his power against the Goa'uld so the struggle was evenly matched for the moment.

Marutuk knew without the kara kesh he would not be able to overpower the hok'taur and it would be only a matter of time before Dooku regained his senses and crushed the life out of him. He only had one chance and it was now. He would take it and he would _become_ a god at last. A flash of glowing eyes that quickly faded, Marutuk left his current host and through his own eyes he watched as the hok'taur reacted to his presence. The old man tried to jerk back with a horrified look before the Goa'uld could strike, but he was too slow.

With a hiss and a ruffling of his frills, Marutuk leapt at his future.

* * *

He was Count Yan Dooku.

He was Marutuk.

Dooku.

Marutuk.

Dooku. Marutuk. Dookumarutuk. Dookumarutukdookumarutuk.

He didn't know who he was.

He remembered little of who he was.

A voice was screaming. It was his, he realized. A sharp pain had throbbed at the back of his neck and had worked it's way around his spine swiftly before sinking it's proverbial dagger into the base of his skull. Darkness had clouded his vision and that was when he recalled he could not remember who he was. Something had happened to him. Something evil, far more evil than his master.

Master? Who was that? Another hok'taur? What was a hok'taur?

He was a hok'taur.

No. He was Jedi. Sith. A god!

Dooku. The name was familiar. A flash of white roses on a vine trellis, climbing a wall of some structure. His home. A child's laughter rang out in the air. His own. A woman called a name proudly.

"Yan."

It was his.

No! He was Marutuk! Ancient when his host was still young. Conqueror of many worlds! Slayer of his rival, Mystra, and servant to Anu! A god, ruler of thousands of Jaffa warriors! He would not submit, he shall not submit!

The blending... The blending should have taken already! Why hadn't it?

_You underestimate my will, parasite!_ growled a thought. His thought.

He was Dooku.

Marutuk.

Dooku.

Marutuk.

Dooku. Marutuk. Dookumarutuk. Dookumarutukdookumarutuk.

Another memory of the host flashed quickly by. This time it was of a great Temple. A small, green and wizened being stood before him, smiling proudly at him, calling to him as he held a severed braid to him.

"Yan."

A beautiful woman was pleading before him, tears streaked her fear stricken face as she groveled and begged for his mercy. His hand reached out and the kara kesh glowed. She screamed in terror and pain and he relished it. Someone yelled at him.

"Marutuk!"

_I. Will. Not. Surrender!_ the voice, his voice decreed defiantly. It sounded weaker. He was winning.

He was Dooku. A Jedi. A Sith.

No, he was Marutuk and he was a god!

He gasped for air, his brown eyes flashing white angrily as the blending finally succeeded. He was in control and the mind of the host was gone. The once baritone voice was distorted with a raspy deepness when he spoke, "I am Marutuk!"

_No_, he sounded tired but persistently stubborn. He scowled and sat up. Beside him was the unconscious body of his former host. The human had to die. He could not let the hok'taur's people learn the truth.

_What would a god fear from peons and droids?_ came a sneer. Although weakened, the voice remained despite his efforts to suppress _him_. He snarled in reply and reached out for the hok'taur's energy blade, no, lightsaber, that is what it was called. It flew to his hand and Marutuk was filled with ecstasy at what he had been able to do.

He stood and towered over the fallen human. Thumbing the crimson blade to life, he raised it over his head to strike but hesitated. Why was he hesitating? Was he not in control of this host? Marutuk growled his frustration and exerted all of his will over the will of his host. He was a god, he will not be exorcised! The crimson blade came down and missed the human by mere inches.

He threw the weapon aside in anger after that. "I am in control, nothing remains of the host!" His eyes flashed and he closed them, his head bowing as he staggered back against the sofa.

"You are mistaken, _parasite_," Count Dooku snarled, his eyes snapping open. "I very much remain and I _will_ take back my body!" A bead of sweat perspired at his temple as he spoke. It was taking everything to keep the demon at bay. He was unsure if he had the strength. The parasite's mind was strong, it's will powerful.

_You cannot fight me forever, hok'taur_, warned the Goa'uld. _I will win in the end._

"I would sooner die!" the Sith declared and his brown gaze flickered to the discarded lightsaber. His hand reached out for it and summoned the weapon to him. Just as the cool metal slapped against his palm, his focus wavered and his eyes flashed white again.

"Old fool. You cannot contend with a god!"

_You underestimate me._

_I underestimate no one!_

He collapsed to a knee, grasping his head with both hands in agony, the lightsaber falling to the floor again and rolling up against the unconscious commander. He had to maintain control if his plans were to succeed. He had to regain control if he were to be free.

He was Count Yan Dooku.

He was Marutuk.

Dooku.

Marutuk.

Dooku. Marutuk. Dookumarutuk. Dookumarutukdookumarutuk.

He was Marutuk!

"No! I. Am. Dooku!" he snarled angrily in _his_ voice and fell forward on to his hands, panting. _Force help me_, he pleaded as he felt the slithering snake tighten its grip on his mind even more. His eyes flashed again and the host fell back into the pit that was the darkest and coldest corner of his mind. He could not lose this battle, everything depended on him winning. He was going to become a system lord, the ruler of the Goa'uld.

_Never!_

He was a Sith Lord. He would rule beside his master and train the new generation of Jedi and restore peace to the galaxy!

_I will win, hok'taur!_

He collapsed to the floor and rolled onto his back, his eyes closed tightly as the inner turmoil raged on. The parasite tightened around the spine, torturing the host to submit, the body thrashing lightly in pain. _Submit and the pain will stop_, he commanded. Several seconds passed. A minute. Two. Three. Finally he sensed the host retreating deeper into the recesses of the mind, to escape the pain and recoup. Marutuk knew that Dooku was not ready to give up but he took advantage of the hok'taur's retreat and grasped onto the mind firmly.

He would not be toppled. He could not be toppled. He was Marutuk and he was a _god._

Brown eyes opened and stared up at the ceiling of the suite before he commanded the body to sit up. Sweat poured down his body and drenched the tunic he wore and his silver hair. Never before had a blending been so taxing on the host and the Goa'uld. The last host had not been exaggerating the power of the hok'taur. Dooku was indeed powerful, both in rawness and in the mind.

Marutuk knew that he would not be able to exert his will on this being forever. The hok'taur would fight until he won or killed them both and _that_ he could not have. He hated to admit it, but perhaps a compromise was necessary. _He_ needed a host and he was no fool into thinking he could leave the hok'taur and survive. Dooku would slay him before he could get into a new body.

_What do you purpose?_ Inquired the hok'taur tiredly. Marutuk wondered if he had been considering the same.

_As much as I loathe the idea_, began the Goa'uld, _we share. I _need_ a host to survive._

_That does not sound beneficial for me,_ retorted Dooku.

_I am ancient. I have knowledge that you do not possess. Knowledge that can win you your war._

_Knowledge_. The hok'taur sounded like he was contemplating the idea. _I have no need for your knowledge._

_Excellent health._

_Already had that with the Force._

_Longevity. Centuries added to your natural lifespan._

There! The hok'taur remained silent for several long seconds. Marutuk could sense the host trying to probe his memories to discern the truth and he let him. He let him see how a symbiote could be beneficial to the host and he let him see the technology that could extend those centuries into several millenia.

_And who remains in control?_

Who indeed? What he had thus far proposed was Tok'ra hearsay. He was a god and gods do not share. Yet if he did not allow the hok'taur to have control, the man would fight him until he did have control again.

He loathed what he was doing.

_Both_.

_Impossible to do._

_I will allow you control for the majority of the time while we are here in your galaxy_, Marutuk explained reluctantly. _However you will relent control to me when I wish it._ _When we return to my galaxy, I will be in control until I have taken over the Empire. I am your god and you _will_ obey._

There was a flash of anger from the hok'taur but he did not try to exert his will over the Goa'uld and Marutuk grinned sinisterly. Perhaps, with time, he could make this hok'taur submit to him entirely.

_Agreed._

Brown eyes closed as the two beings became one.

* * *

Brown eyes reopened to stare up in fear and meet the fiery gaze of anger and hatred of the young Jedi Knight he had erroneously taunted too far. Crimson and azure blades held him in place in a scissor like prose and the raspy voice of the master commanded nearby. "Do it!"

_No! Let me have control you fool, _pleaded Marutuk desperately.

_Never._

He was Marutuk.

He _is_ Count Yan Dooku.


	2. Two Minds, One Host

_This is a continuation of the original idea and is set before the RotS ending in Possessed._ _I do have ideas for this, a vague adventure for the two that will explore the struggles of two minds trying to live in one body. So this will be a series of one-shots._**  
**

* * *

**Two Minds, One Host**

The head rolled across the gravel covered terrain and into the pit of the quarry. The hok'taur's body fell forward at his feet, her green energy blade fading into nothingness like her life just had and clattered against the ground loudly.

Brown eyes flashed white and a predatory grin formed on his lips as he stared down at the corpse. Another hok'taur Jedi had fallen to his power. He had chosen his host wisely. He truly was a god in this body!

"Ignorant parasite! We needed her alive!" snarled Dooku once he had regained control of his body again. It disturbed him greatly that Marutuk was so eager to use his power and skills, as if the being wanted to prove that he was superior to everything. It also disturbed him that the parasite could take control at any moment like that as well.

_She is unimportant,_ the Goa'uld replied snidely and shifted irritably around Dooku's spine. The Sith Lord shivered at the sensation, something he still had yet to get use to even though it has only been three months since the forced blending.

"And where do you think we are going to find another Jedi with her unique abilities?" The parasite had so much to learn about the Force and the two Orders that served it. Dooku had tried to teach it the philosophies of the Jedi and the Sith but Marutuk seemed more inclined to do what he wanted and how he wanted, Sith and Jedi Codes be damned!

_A god does not need... _Marutuk began but Dooku cut him off by snapping angrily.

"You are not a god! You are a parasite that has forced itself on me!" His eyes flashed but not the expected white from the symbiote taking over. Had he a reflective surface nearby he would have seen his brown irises have changed to a crimson ringed yellow. That was something Dooku had noticed happening more often since the blending. He lost his temper frequently and he had become more ruthless than before. Where he would have negotiated with enemies or colleagues, he simply beheaded them if they did not conform to his way of thinking the first time.

His way of thinking. What was it anymore? Ever since the blending he had done things he normally, or so he believed, would not have done. He was a Jedi at heart and a Sith in mind, was he not?

_Your self doubts grow annoying, _the parasite intruded and the Count gripped the hilt of his lightsaber tighter. _You are neither Sith or Jedi. You are my host and I am allowing you this freedom because it is in my best interest._

_That_ caught his attention and a fear he had never felt before coursed through his body faster than he could identify and think on it. Although they had an agreement, it was not mutual like Dooku had been led to believe. Was he truly in control of his own body? How much of Marutuk's emotions and desires bled through the bond they shared?

Suddenly, he knew he was afraid of the parasite.

_Now you understand._

"You can control me all along, why haven't you?" Dooku inquired and doing his best to hide his fear from his voice.

_You would resist and I do not have the strength to hold you back forever. Our first battle of wills had proven that._ Marutuk was still annoyed that he had failed to suppress the host. His plans for galactic domination in his home galaxy were on hold until he dealt with Dooku's own plans. Though he wondered if he could exert his will long enough to force his host through the Chappa'ai.

Marutuk savored the burst of fear and adrenaline that suddenly erupted from the hok'taur at the thought of being forced into a different galaxy to serve him for all of eternity. The old man had been a fool into thinking that _he_ would continue this relationship forever. In time, Marutuk would have complete control over the host body and the hok'taur's mind would cease to exist.

"Do not delude yourself," Dooku hissed. "Do not forget I would sooner kill myself before allowing you to claim my body." He heard the parasite laugh inside his mind. To be mocked and not taken seriously annoyed the Sith.

_You cherish your life far too much, Dooku. You would not do it._ The confidence that dripped from the Goa'uld chipped another piece of Dooku's will from the indomitable wall the former Jedi had erected around himself to hold back the parasite.

Anger flashed in Dooku's eyes and he brought his unlit lightsaber to his chin, not caring who might be witnessing this one sided argument with himself. "I can and will end it!"

_No, you won't._

Uncertainty hesitated Dooku's fingers over the activation switch. How could the Goa'uld be so confident that he would not kill them both right here and now? All he had to do was press the switch and his own crimson blade would end their lives. His suicide would protect the galaxy and another from this evil he held within himself and _he_ would not be the face and name of that evil.

_You are a warrior, _reminded Marutuk in a very understanding tone. Of course the Goa'uld would understand a warrior's honor. He ruled over thousands who gave their lives for beings they thought were gods. _Suicide is dishonorable. You are not a coward._

"Sometimes it takes more courage to slay one-self for the greater good," he retorted defiantly but the bite of his anger had deflated enough that his words held no real conviction behind them. The parasite was right. He was too much of a warrior to dishonor himself like this even though he knew it was the easiest and most righteous thing to do. The Jedi in him understood sacrifice but the Sith abhorred the very thought.

Or was that the parasite influencing his more sinister side? Again what were his thoughts and those of Marutuk?

Against his will, the curved lightsaber lowered from his chin and hung limply in his hand at his side. He was a prisoner in his own body, struggling every day to try and figure out what were his choices or Marutuk's. A pawn in a game of wills. His freedom was but an illusion that Marutuk allowed him to have while he whittled away at his strength.

"Count Dooku, sir," a mechanized voice intruded from behind him and Dooku was grateful for the distraction. The Sith Lord turned to face the yellow marked B-1 battledroid just before it produced a communicator in it's tri-fingered hand. "An urgent communique for you, sir."

He preferred to not deal with whoever it was but he needed the distraction after his unsettling argument with the Goa'uld. He had his freedom for now but the revelations he had just learned told it was only a matter of time before he lost that freedom and swept a darker curtain across the galaxy as the parasite enslaved everything, and he could only watch in horror from within his own prison.

With a nod the battledroid thumbed the communicator and a tiny blue hologram of a cloaked figure appeared in the machine's palm. A flicker of surprise crossed his features before he inclined his head in a bow of respect to the being. Dooku could sense Marutuk's unease at the presence of the Sith Lord and he wondered how much the symbiote feared Sidious.

"Master," Dooku greeted neutrally and resisted the urge to shiver as the parasite became more unsettled and tightened his grip on Dooku's spine.

_Make this quick,_ demanded the parasite uneasily. Dooku mentally grinned sinisterly.

_I shall enjoy your discomfort, Marutuk._

"How fairs the attempt to capture the Jedi woman?" the Dark Lord inquired in a curious but cold tone. Dooku's temper flared briefly at the ineptitude of Marutuk and did not look forward to his Master's wrath because of him.

"She is, regrettably, dead, my master." There was silence. Long silence.

"You have failed." Disappointment and contempt dripped off of the cowled Sith and Dooku noticeably winced.

"She would not surrender, my master," Dooku tried to explain. He tried to salvage the situation with an excuse that could explain why the girl had been slain without revealing Marutuk. He knew that if Sidious found out about the parasite, his life was forfeit. "She left me with no choice..."

"I wanted her alive!" Sidious did not quite shout but his presence and tone of voice might as well have made it sound like he had. "Your failure has set back our plans."

"My master, I..." The possessed Sith apprentice inclined his head again in penitence for his, no, Marutuk's error. He did not like to fail and he hated failing because of someone else's stupidity even more.

"No matter, Lord Tyranus," the Sith continued in a lighter, more thoughtful tone. "We can still salvage those plans. The Force will provide as it always has."

The Count kept silent. He would not beg for forgiveness when he knew he would not receive it. He only wished that whatever punishment Sidious had in mind for his failure would be swift and as painless as possible.

"You will go to Valahari," his master said finally. "There you will recruit the services of their starfighter engineering. Their expertise will provide the Confederacy the edge that Jedi Selan could have given with her unique talents had you not slain her."

Valahari. It had been too long since he had set foot on that world. Did Sidious know about his relations with House Vane? With the Viscountess and Tofen?

"The Republic will not sit still and allow the Valahari to sell it's technology to us," Dooku dared to point out.

"Indeed. When the Senate discovers Valahari's war profiteering they will demand for blockades of that region. You will arrange it so that Valahari becomes embroiled in the war. This should further destabilize the Republic where Jedi Selan would have done had she _lived_." The Sith Lord did not wait for his apprentice to answer if he understood. He knew Dooku well enough to accomplish his task. The hologram faded from sight and the battledroid lowered his arm and waited for orders.

_Perhaps you will not be punished after all? _He had to give the parasite credit. The being may like to torment him and make things difficult, but the Goa'uld did not like to be on the receiving end of torture either. The memories of his host having suffered his Master's wrath before was enough to deter the symbiote from openly inviting it. Now if he could just teach the wanna-be god some restraint, they could come out of this war alive.

"That has yet to be seen. I know my master, his punishments will be painful and cut to the quick." Dooku spoke aloud, forgetting that the battledroid commander was still present until it spoke.

"Sir?"

A flash of a crimson blade quickly decapitated the machine before it could react. Dooku stood over the crumpled remains of the droid and sighed heavily. He would need to be more careful about talking to his symbiote when others were present. He could not afford Sidious finding out and deeming him unworthy of another breath of air.

_Ha. You seem to go through more of those machines than that living abomination does,_ stabbed the parasite and Dooku scowled irritably. He did not need to be reminded of his outbursts as of late.

"No thanks to you," the Sith replied snidely and stepped around the ruined machine. "Besides I'd rather vent my frustrations on a droid than any of my commanders. Droids I can replace, the living? Not so much."

_Another failing of this galaxy and apparently you as well,_ commented the Goa'uld in amusement,knowing perfectly well how much it annoyed his host. _At least __**I**__ can resurrect the dead._

He ignored Marutuk after that, having argued that point one too many times already and no longer in the mood to debate the finer points of their respective galaxies. Dooku hurried past squads of battledroids as he came closer to the field of battle. His mission here was a failure and his presence was no longer required to win the star system for the Confederacy nor did he care if they won it or not. The planet was not vital to the war or his Master's plans.

However Valahari apparently was and _that_ concerned the former Jedi Master.

_Why would this system concern you over any other?_ asked the parasite. Dooku could feel it trying to probe his memories for the answer and immediately he erected mental shields around those memories. He did not need the alien to know about his relationship with the Vanes. _Something important to you is there, isn't it?_

"Can you for once leave me in peace?" Dooku growled.

_No._

As he entered a cavern where he had housed his solar sailor, the Sith wondered if he could use a suggestion on the symbiote. Putting the thing to sleep would give him a moments respite, perhaps long enough to get some meditation in and think about how he could drag Valahari into the war without alienating House Vane. He figured it could not hurt to make the attempt and if it succeeded he might even be able to rid himself of the creature.

_It won't work._ He heard humor in the Goa'uld's mental voice.

"We'll see."

The Count boarded the elegant looking vessel and gave the droid pilot it's destinations before he settled down in the cockpit. It would be several hours before he would arrive at Valahari and he looked forward to some peace and quiet until then.

Once he was safely in hyperspace, he quietly cleared his mind and focused on the life signature of the symbiote, ignoring the barbs and taunts and warnings Marutuk was giving him about trying. With the Force he focused on the alien mind and poured his will into the single mental command.

_Sleep._ His brow furrowed when the suggestion was not obeyed and he tried again, but stronger. He winced at the strain of trying to force a mind trick on another being but that time he felt Marutuk give a little. The third time he tried he succeeded in finally achieving some peace and quiet but not in the way he had been expecting to get it.

The droid pilot _blinked_ at it's master as light snores pervaded the cockpit.

* * *

"It will be done, Master," mewled the Rattataki witch as her hologram gracefully bowed in the palm of his hand. "The Valahari will come to hate the Republic and Skywalker before the days end."

"Do not fail me in this, my apprentice," replied what sounded like Count Dooku. Marutuk grinned sinisterly. He could feel his host struggling to resurface to stop the order from being carried out but he did not have the strength to overpower the Goa'uld. The parasite had promised the hok'taur swift retribution for his mind trick despite the fact that he had found it amusing that the host ended up tricking himself instead.

Unknown to Dooku that day, while he slept, Marutuk had torn down the barriers that hid the memories of his relationship with House Vane and had discovered the Sith's feelings for the royal matriarch and her son. He could not have been given a more beautiful gift to break his host with.

Once the transmission had ended, the parasite retreated and allowed his host control of the body again. Immediately, and predictably, the Count contacted his assassin again and her crimson hologram reappeared once more in his palm.

"Master?" she inquired, a wary look crossing her beautiful features. He did not normally call back after giving instructions to his acolytes, so it did not surprise him at the reaction he got. Nor would it surprise him at her next reaction when he countermanded what had appeared to be his own order.

_Think carefully, hok'taur,_ the parasite began coldly. _Not only will this go against what your master wants, you will also cause your subordinates to question your mental faculties every time you _change_ your mind. _He heard the mental laugh as the Goa'uld found his own pun amusing.

Dooku certainly had not.

However the arrogant worm had a point. If he rescinded every order Marutuk made in his name, he would be quickly deemed unfit to lead and word would reach his master. _Second guessing_ himself was a fast way to an early grave.

His hatred for the parasite burned hot as he forced the next words through gritted teeth, "I do not want the Viscountess to discover your deed. See to it you cover your tracks, Ventress."

"You shall have nothing to worry about, my master," replied the pale skinned assassin. "I shall be like a ghost."

_You will be a ghost if you fail me,_ Dooku did not add and he felt the amusement roiling off his symbiote in waves. "I need not remind you the consequences of failure."

He cut the transmission and stuffed the hand-held holocom into a pouch on his belt. "You will suffer for this, parasite."

It laughed at him cruelly. They both knew there was nothing Dooku could do in retaliation. The more he fought back and tried to gain the upper hand, the stronger the symbiote grew. He was, thus far, stalemated in the war against the being and he wondered how much more he could take before the scales tipped in Marutuk's favor and the snake claimed victory.

"Yan?" he heard his name called and reluctantly turned to face the man he, no, Marutuk had condemned to death. Harko Vane approached and clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder and the Sith winced inwardly at the familiar camaraderie being displayed by the Valahari royal. "There you are. I was wondering where you had gotten off to."

"Merely needed a bit of fresh air," the Count lied though after what had happened and knowing what will happen, fresh air did not sound like a bad idea. He must have worn the guilt he was feeling or Harko knew him well enough still to pick up on what was bothering the former Jedi.

"Everything alright?" the Viscount asked and Dooku wished the man had not squeezed his shoulder as a silent offer to listen to him.

He shrugged the hand from him and stepped away. He did not need Harko's friendship right now, not while he knew that the man was not going to live to see his grandchild born. "It is nothing that which I cannot handle," he said a little too coldly.

_Tell him,_ Marutuk goaded and the hok'taur closed his eyes in an attempt to drown out the symbiote's voice. _Tell him how much you covet his wife and that _you_ are going to murder him. You will feel better._

_Shut up,_ he demanded angrily. Harko stepped into his field of vision, concern reflecting back at the Serenni Count. He couldn't meet the man's gaze.

"Tell me, old friend," Harko prodded gently. "And don't give me that speech about the pride of the Counts of Serenno."

Dooku scowled at him darkly. _If you don't tell him, _I _will._ He could feel the parasite's will pushing against the mental barriers and a fear shot through him at the thought of Harko learning the truth. He was already going to lose this man, he did not want to lose his friendship as well!

"No," he let slip in the form of a half frustrated, half panicked growl and forced himself to step away from the Viscount so he could regain his composure and just in case Marutuk managed to briefly surface. He clinched his fists in frustration as he struggled with the symbiote.

_You agreed, _he tried to remind the Goa'uld of their deal. _I am to remain in..._

_Except when I demand to be,_ Marutuk answered. Satisfied at the feeling of fear and panic in his host, he reined back and let him regain his composure. _Do not forget this._

_No, I will not._ His hate laced his mental words and Dooku took a heavy breath. He sensed the concern from Harko and knew the man would not give up so easily and let him walk away without an answer. He had to give something or divert his attention to something else.

Perhaps he could even prevent what Marutuk set into motion?

"I am sorry, my friend," Dooku started as he turned to face the Valahari royal again. "I have not been well these last few weeks."

_That is the understatement of the millennium,_ quipped Marutuk.

"I can see that," Harko gestured toward the gardens of his estate and Dooku gladly accepted the offer for a walk, only because it would keep unwanted ears from overhearing them. He walked alongside his friend, the very thought of still considering him one painful.

Friends do not murder friends.

_Tell that to Syfo-Dias._

_He is not dead, _Dooku growled silently.

_Might as well be._

"What troubles you, Yan? I have not seen you this... _lost_ since the civil war." Dooku schooled his features, disliking being so easily read by the viscount.

"I..." What could he say to warn Harko from partaking in the blockade run? He closed his eyes and tried his best to ignore Marutuk's mocking tone as the alien predicted that he would fail in persuading the man, short of actually telling him the truth. "You must not run the blockade, Harko."

The younger viscount stopped to look at his companion curiously. "Why? Have you seen something?" Dooku allowed himself to have a little hope, that Harko may heed him this time and not run foolishly and headlong into the danger.

"I sense danger," he lied smoothly, facing the man. Dooku added to the charade by placing his hands on either of the viscount's arms. "I fear that if you do this yourself, you will not come back, Harko. Let your steward make the run, stay with Elodore and Tofen."

What little hope he had allowed himself soon evaporated when Harko shook his head in reply. "I cannot and will not allow someone else to do what I should. You know me better than that, Yan."

The Count gave an exasperated sigh. "All too well." He forced himself to meet his friend's gaze. "Please reconsider..."

"No," the viscount said with conviction, shaking his head firmly. "It has to be done. The Republic has gone too far and would destroy my world's economy with their illegal blockade. Someone has to do it and I intend that someone to be me. Besides, I do not believe that Obi-wan will give the order to open fire."

_No, but Ventress will detonate the bomb and you will still die,_ he did not say aloud. Instead, he said, "This war has changed those who you call friends, Viscount. Do not rely on old faiths to come through at the last minute."

Harko placed his hands on the Count's shoulders, "I have faith in my friends to do the right thing. Obi-wan won't attack my ship. He is too noble and good to kill senselessly."

Dooku pulled away from his friend and gave him a cold glare, "Your faith in your friends blind you, Harko. I warned you and I pray that Elodore does not suffer from your foolishness."

The viscount blinked in astonishment at the coldness from the former Jedi. "You are correct about the war changing people. You have changed."

The Sith stared at him silently before replying in a tired and quiet voice, his shoulders dropping minutely. "You have no idea."

_You could always tell him about me. He'll end up taking the secret to his grave anyway._ Dooku ignored the parasite. He knew the suggestion was a false reassurance, meant only to hurt him and make the viscount either fear or pity him, something which he did not want.

"What has happened to you?" the Valahari asked softly.

The Serenni shook his head lightly. "What is done is done and cannot be undone. I will always have to deal with the burden and only in death will I find peace." His tone was quiet and he seemed to be talking to himself more than to Harko, as if he was trying to convince himself to accept the fate that the Force had dealt him.

_There will be no death, _Marutuk reminded. _I can heal most injuries and if you try to commit suicide, I can and will stop you. Peace shall never find you, hok'taur._ Dooku noticeably winced at the cruelty of the parasite's words.

"I hope you find it before you pass on, my friend." The Count heard the sincerity in his friend's words and allowed a small smile to grace his lips for a moment.

"Be it the Will of the Force," Dooku recited one of the familiar idioms of the Jedi, but he did not feel the confidence that he once had felt whenever he had uttered the phrase.

He would _never_ know peace again.

Marutuk inwardly smiled menacingly.

* * *

Count Dooku clinched his fists at either side of him as his master walked away, his head bowed and eyes closed as the Sith's words echoed in his mind. _'A distraction, an __**attachment**__, you can ill afford...'_

The words had been spoken with a cold cruelty that reminded him of the parasite he carried. Thinking of the symbiote angered him and he lashed out with the Force, knocking over crates with a hate-filled shove. The loss of his relationship with the Vanes had been Marutuk's fault. If the blasted creature had not set into motion the death of Harko Vane, Elodore would not have come to hate him and banish him from Valahari and her life.

_You cannot entirely blame me for what had happened_, the symbiote defended haughtily.

"I can and I _will_." The Sith Lord glared at nothing before spinning on a heel and marching for the hanger where his solar sailor rested. "Your attempts to break me will only enrage me instead."

_I have all the centuries in the Universe to break you, hok'taur._

And _that_ truth frightened Dooku.


End file.
